The Saga of the Shadow
by Jenny Clever
Summary: A story about the hidden guardian of the sailor scouts... sailor shadow::::original storyline, if you hate it, tell me, r&r!! **26/3/03. Story postponed... if anyone wants to take it over from here, please tell me**


AN: Be warned... this is meant to be a Sailor Moon fic... but it doesn't really make any sense.... It's the first chapter, and I will only continue to write it if I get reviews! I don't care if they are good or bad... And one more thing to add... Who is the person that reviewed Untitled And I Don't Know Why and didn't leave a name or e-mail? I'd like to answer your question: no, it isn't from a real experience. It is, in fact, a dream I had that I decided to put into words and post. Thanks for the reviews, especially Guinevere and Mithdelothwen, though Mithdelothwen doesn't seem to be reading my stuff lately... anyway, enjoy, r&r... ~Morgaine~

The Saga of the Shadow

** Part One- In The Beginning**

_*The first thing I remember is the sky, the black sky full of stars. A slim crescent moon shone brightly, just beginning to grow to fullness. I was young then, nearly a thousand years ago. As far as I am concerned, my life began that night…_

I shivered, the October night had a cold wind that hinted at an early winter and I had not taken my cloak with me. But I hadn't thought of taking anything with me when I left the yelling and fighting back at the castle. Yes. I was a princess, but my life was anything except ideal. In fact, I was outside now because I had just taken the fastest horse in the castle and I had run away.

I took a deep breath, the cold air stinging my eyes, and looked at my surroundings more closely. The sky was black, the bright stars and a crescent moon were my only sources of light. The horse stood by a clump of trees eating grass. I stood in a clearing that was…well, it is not something I remember clearly. I remember the feeling it gave me, though. It made me feel safe, strong, and oddly full of purpose. It was a mystical place and I felt that it watched me, made sure that I was really who I seemed to be. A feeling of suspense and anticipation settled over me. The clearing became silent and I looked into the darkness, the shadows, waiting for something.

A woman came out of the shadows, like a white ghost. She was clothed in a long slim white dress that was simple and elegant with a high waist. Her face seemed ageless, her blue eyes were bright and somehow, detached and far away at the same time. My gaze was drawn to a silver mark on her forehead that glowed slightly. Her hair was long, so very long, and an odd shade of white that could be mistaken for silver or light blue when looked at in a different light. I could feel her presence stir me inside. I could feel my heart recognize its purpose. _This is who I must serve_. 

The woman stepped forward and held out a hand to me. I went toward her and took her hand as though I were in a trance. From up close, I could see the mark on her forehead was a crescent moon, a reflection of the moon in the sky. She led me out of the clearing and into the complete darkness of the forest. The woman guided me carefully and made sure that I never stumbled on a tree root or animal.

We walked for some time, but looking back, I cannot remember how long it really was. Eventually we reached a small stone hut brightly lit from the inside by a fire. We entered the hut and the woman let go of my hand. "We will meet again when you are read," she said to me in a soft, beautiful, captivating voice. She turned, walked out, and vanished into the night before I could do a thing. I was surprised to notice that I was sad that she had left. The trance dissolved and I stood in the hut, confused.

"Morgan."

I turned around at the sound of my name spoken, worried that the woman had led me to a member of my father's court and that I was going to be taken back to the violent life at the castle. But I was shocked that the person I faced was a woman. I had never seen her before, which was of some relief to me, but somewhat disturbing since she knew my name and I didn't know hers. Her frame was tall and athletic. She had long, dark brown, wavy hair and simple light brown eyes that could convey any message more effectively than words. She did not have a silver crescent on her forehead like the other woman, but she had a small outline of a crescent just below her hairline. She wore a dark green gown with long sleeves and a long skirt. Her boots were made of dark leather and were laced up with leather strings. She reminded me of someone, but I couldn't put my finger on who exactly.

"Who are you?" I demanded.

"You do not need to know my name. What you do need to know is that I can and will teach you everything. And you will learn it all. Combat and etiquette, future and past, death and life," was her answer. I was quite intimidated but I felt that I could trust her and that I really would learn everything I needed to know right here in this hut.

I stood straighter, met her eyes, and said the words that began five years of intensive training. Three little words that sealed a promise, sealed my future, and released me of all my fears and limitations. Three words. "I will learn."

Thus, five years began. At the young age of sixteen, I began to learn about everything. I learned about hand-to-hand combat, I learned how to handle swords, fighting using spells, magical incantations. I learned of history, the past of the Earth and the Moon. It was the topic of the Moon that needed to be explained to me.

"Ayaera, why do I need to learn about the Moon?" I asked a few months into my lessons when she began to tell me abut the first ruler of the Moon. I had taken to calling her Ayaera because she still hadn't told me her name. When she heard my question she laughed.

"Because, Morgan," she said through fits of laughter, "that's where you are going." And then she explained everything to me. The woman who had first brought me to the hut was Queen Serenity, the fair and much loved ruler of the Moon. The Queen's daughter was going to grow up to be a defender of peace on Earth. Her friends, from the other planets in the Solar System, were also going to help her fight evil. They were a group called the Sailor Scouts.

Ayaera also explained to me that while they would fight many enemies, they could not fight them all. That was to be my task. I would protect the protectors; keep away all the enemies that the Sailor Scouts could not fight. I thought it was impossible.

"What? Me? Why me? I have done nothing to prove that I am worthy and able to do this!" And so on and so forth, I protested for the next few days. Ayaera found this very annoying but endured it because she knew I would accept it eventually.

Within two weeks, we had settled back into our regular schedule. I continued to learn about history and combat, as well as my transformation, attacks, various methods of healing, and, my favorite subject. Travelling through time and space. This was something I had to be perfect at because I would often be travelling through space to reach my enemies and check on the Scouts. It was my favorite subject because I had the least trouble with it.

While Ayaera had me practicing my attacks on boulders, she would tell me about the court on the Moon. One day she interrupted my practicing and told me to take her hand. This was when I was nineteen years old, almost twenty, finishing my third year of lessons. I took her hand and she transported the two of us to a hill over-looking a meadow scattered with blooming trees. The sun was setting on the horizon and the Moon was a crescent again.

"What do you see?" Ayaera asked me.

At first I thought it was a ridiculous question. What was the purpose of this? But then my gaze caught on a tree covered with white blossoms. It was a simple apple tree, and out of all the trees scattered in the meadow, this one stood out to me and made me catch my breath at its beauty.

"I never thought the sight of a simple apple tree in bloom would take my breath away," I whispered to Ayaera. She smiled warmly.

"This was a test. You fight so willingly, but if you don't appreciate life, you aren't fit to be a protector of it. You will fight your enemies to protect that tree, that beauty, that life. Just a little longer and you'll be ready. I'm so proud of you," she told me, and hugged me tightly.

_Just a little longer_, I thought to myself.


End file.
